WELLINGTON/HONG KONG/TAIPEI ¨C The Royal New Zealand Navy¡¯s largest ship, the oiler HMNZS Aotearoa, made a rare transit through the sensitive Taiwan Strait earlier this month, Defence Minister Judith Collins said.
One source with knowledge of the situation said the ship was tracked and followed by Chinese forces as it sailed through the strait.
Collins did not comment on any Chinese activity but said the transit was conducted in accordance with international law. ¡°This includes exercising the right to freedom of navigation, as guaranteed under the United Nations Convention of the Law of the Sea,¡± she said in an e-mail.
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